


The Unexpected Rise To Fame Of Maxine Caulfield

by TheEndlessMajestic



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - High School, Coming Out, Developing Relationship, F/F, F/M, Good Mark Jefferson, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 09:57:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19903867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEndlessMajestic/pseuds/TheEndlessMajestic
Summary: After unexpectedly getting outed during her senior year at Blackwell, Max Caulfield must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of high school with the spotlight on her. Thankfully, she has a pair of friends that will steer in her in the right direction, and if all goes according to plan, even find her a new love.





	1. Chapter 1

Maxine Caulfield was not a fan of drama.

She was content to just sit on the sidelines and let everyone else deal with the madness that was Blackwell Academy.

But, no, God or some other being, decided that Max Caulfield needed to have her love life put on display for the entire school. It was enough for her to want to curse out the big guy, but hopefully not in front of her friend Kate Marsh.

It’s barely two weeks into senior year, and she’s already gotten more attention than the previous three years combined. It’s exhausting, and she has no idea how her best friend Chloe Price and girlfriend Rachel Amber have dealt with it for so long.

In order to understand how young Max was thrust into the spotlight, though, we need to take a brief trip back in time.

_One Week Earlier_

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry Warren, I just can’t.”

Max quickly pushed her boyfriend of over two years off herself. Tonight was going to be the night. _The_ night, if you know what she meant. Warren never pushed for it or anything, but after dating for so long, it just felt like the next step. Plus, it was senior year. It just _made_ sense, you know?

“What’s wrong babe? We don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable.” He looked at her with genuine concern, because that’s just the kind of guy he was. She was going to miss this.

“I’ve been thinking, and this isn’t your fault. It’s not yo-“

“If you’re just going to dump me, Max, save the generic statements. I thought we were in a good place?”

“Warren, when I mean it’s not your fault, I mean it. I’m, uh. Well, I think I might be, um……gay?”

He stared at her for a few seconds. Like his high-powered brain couldn’t process what was just told him. Admittedly, it didn’t really make a ton of sense. Max had given little indication to him that this was even remotely a possibility.

However, it’s always been something inside of her. She’s always been attracted to other women, but Max just figured she was bi or something. In this moment, though, she knew that was no longer the case.

“What? Wha-? How? What do you mean?” Warren stammered out.

With a little more confidence this time, the brunette let him know what she meant. “I’m gay. I tried to ignore it, I really did. But I can’t go through with this. I just can’t.”

“I’m just a little confused by this. We were happy, weren’t we? How long have you been thinking this?”

As she began to get dressed, she figured it was best to be as honest as possible. It was only fair to Warren.

“We were happy, and I’ll always like you. You’re one of my best friends. But this has been something I’ve been struggling with for years. I just figured I was bi.”

“And what changed? Why now?”

This was going to be awkward.

“Well, once you took that,” Max said as she gestured to his privates, “And we’re getting ready to put it in, it kind of solidified my thoughts.”

“Let me get this straight then. The sight of my penis turned you gay? Is that what you’re saying?”

“When you put it like that….”

Evidently that was not the right thing to say.

“I’d like you to leave now.”

“Warren, I –“

“Max. Please just go. We’ll talk about this on Monday or something. I need some time.”

The photographer knew it was going to be pointless to talk more, so she grabbed the rest of her things and left.

Even considering how late it was getting, there was someone else she needed to see. Her ride or die and, hopefully, lesbian oracle, Chloe Price.

It pained Max to keep these feelings a secret from her. But Chloe has a very strong personality, and if she had told her, the possibility of getting nudged in a specific direction might have been an issue. She would do it out of love, of course, but this was something Max needed to figure out for herself.

Hopping on her bike, she started on the short ride over to the Price household. It wasn’t that late, and considering it was Saturday, Chloe was most likely going to be up. Since it was the weekend, this also meant that Rachel was probably going to be hanging around as well.

Rachel Amber was THE girl at Blackwell. Everyone knew her, and (mostly) everyone loved her. She could effortlessly blend in and out of all crowds. When she first became interested in Chloe, it was that same ability that triggered sirens for Max.

She had nothing to be scared of, though, as Rachel and Chloe have been the perfect pair for three years now. Chloe was always herself, for better or worse, and Rachel loved that. And Chloe was able to bring out the true, loving and complicated person that Rachel was.

For as happy as Max was with Warren, she was always jealous of the dynamic connection those two have. Maybe she’d be able to find that for herself someday.

Pulling up to Chloe’s house, the brunette quickly parked her bike outside the house and hustled up to the door. As best friends, she always had a key on hand. Max’s parents weren’t entirely sold on the idea at first, but they eventually came around to the idea. The duo were persistent, if nothing else.

Knowing that Joyce was probably asleep, and that David was at work, Max let herself in. The kitchen was clear, which meant that Chloe was probably upstairs in her room. She quickly rushed up the stairs, and rapped on the door.

“Mom?” an annoyed voice said on the other side of the door. Opening the door, she only was able to get out “What do you- “ before the sentence died in her throat.

“Sorry Chlo, this couldn’t wait. I hope I’m not bothering you.”

Breaking out in a broad smile, Chloe opened the door wider for her guest to step in. “Of course not, Max. I want to hear all about tonight.”

Perking up from the bed, Rachel eyed her with an equally wide smile. “Yeah, Max _ine_ , tell us all about what Warren was like.”

Of course, that’s what they would be interested in hearing about.

“First of all, it’s Max never Maxine. And secondly, that’s not why I’m here. Do you really think I’d rush right over here after doing that?”

“I don’t know Max,” Rachel said, “You’re always getting into trouble, right Chloe?”

“Max, you’re the biggest troublemaker I know, so I can believe you’d hump and dump.”

“Can you guys please be serious for a second?” Max said with a slight waiver in her voice.

Realizing this was not a joke, the girlfriends put on their serious faces. “Are you okay, dude? Do I need to go beat a punk up or something?” Chloe said.

“No! No, no, it’s not that. I actually, um, have some news to share.”

Exchanging glances, Rachel and Chloe motioned her to go on.

“I’m gay.”

Like with Warren, Chloe and Rachel seemed to shut down for a moment at the news. Max had to wonder was this really as big of a shock as it apparently was?

“What?!?” the two of them eventually said in unison. From there, they began to pepper her with questions.

“When did you know?”

“How long have you known?”

“Did you tell Warren before or after you got some?”

“Was it because of his penis? I bet it was because of his penis.”

Finally interrupting the dynamic duos stream of questioning, Max began to answer their concerns.

“I kind of just came to that conclusion tonight. I’ve always just assumed I was bi, but tonight kind of drove home the point that I really wasn’t interested in men that way. And, no, I did not have sex with Warren. I couldn’t go through with it.”

“Ouch,” Chloe said, “Romeo strikes out again. I always knew there was something off with you two.”

“C’mon Chlo, Warren is a good guy. I was just tired of lying to myself about liking him in that way, though.”

Dragging herself over to the bed to join her friends, Max let out a hefty sigh.

“I am a little scared of what comes next, though. I’ve had, like, no experience dating. Especially dating women.”

It was at that moment that Chloe and Rachel sandwiched Max with stereo hugs. “Oh, Max sweetie, it’s going to be okay. We’ll shepherd you on this journey,” Rachel said.

“And any girl who doesn’t want to date you would be a complete idiot,” Chloe said right after.

Max let out a laugh at her friend's statements. Maybe this wasn’t going to be as difficult as she thought it would be.

* * *

After all of that news on Saturday, Sunday was relatively calm. Chloe and Rachel checked in on Max in order to make sure she was still keeping calm. For as someone prone to panic as she was, this was the smart thing to do.

Max also decided against telling her parents the news. She told Ryan and Vanessa that she broke up with Warren, but didn’t say it was because of her sexuality. It’s not like her parents wouldn’t still love and support her, but she just didn’t want to deal with all of that at the moment.

It was that following Monday where Max’s life got turned inside out.

As usual, the brunette arrived at Blackwell relatively early. She liked getting the chance to get ready for first period without rushing, as well as the opportunity to eat breakfast out on the quad.

On most days, she could do this with no one paying any mind to her. As soon as she stepped through the school doors, however, Max knew that was not going to be the case today. Eyes were drawn to her as she walked through the halls to her locker. No one approached her, but she could tell they were staring.

Suitably creeped out, Max went about her business as quick as she could. After grabbing her chemistry book from her locker, she made her way outside. Noticing Justin and Trevor practicing tricks over by the railing, she headed in that direction.

“Hey Justin, Trevor, how are you?” she said as she sat down on the railing and dug out an apple from her bag.

“Doing alright, Mad Max, doing alright” Justin said. “Congrats on the big news, dude. Just don’t steal any girls from me.” Trevor added.

The color drained from Max’s face as she realized what Trevor just said. “Wha-What are you talking about?”

“That you’re interested in eating out now, if you know what I mean,” the skater said. Justin punched his friend in the shoulder in response to his crude statement. “Dude, c’mon, don’t talk to Max like that.”

“How. How did you hear about that? Who told you?”

“Was it supposed to be a secret?” Trevor asked.

“Um, I heard it from Dana, who probably heard it from Juliet,” Justin said afterwards.

“I-I-I gotta go,” Max said as she quickly stood up and began to make her way back into the school. Heading straight for the nearest bathroom, she quickly opened a stall and sat herself down.

“FUCK! FUCK! GOD DAMN! FUCK!” she shouted in the empty room. Before she could continue her tirade further, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

 **Chloe:** Dude, I don’t want to alarm you, but everyone knows about you. Everyone.

 **Max:** I. Know.

 **Chloe:** Stay calm. Rach and I will be there soon.

“There goes being anonymous,” Max thought to herself as she stepped out of the stall. Splashing her face with some water, she put on as calm a face as possible as she stepped back out into the hallway.


	2. Chapter 2

Exiting the bathroom, Max attempted to make her way through the halls undetected. However, it seemed like anytime she passed someone she even vaguely recognized, it felt like they were staring right at her. For someone who craved their privacy, this was a nightmare.

And it was frustrating, because it wasn’t like the brunette was ashamed of her sexuality. There was nothing wrong with it, and there was certainly nothing wrong with Max. Well, at least when it came to who she wanted to hook up with.

Despite its reputation, though, Blackwell was surprisingly light on LGBTQ students. There was of course Chloe and Rachel, arguably the two who flaunted their sexuality the most in the grade. The duo was out and proud, and they didn’t give a shit who it bothered.

However, they weren’t the first to come out in the grade. That accomplishment belonged to one Stephanie Gingrich, who had been out since middle school. While not as boisterous as Chloe and Rachel were, there was arguably no better source of advice on the subject than Blackwell’s resident Dungeons & Dragons master.

The only other girl who identified as lesbian was Samantha Myers. Like Max, she was mousy, shy and generally in favor of privacy. She had the luxury of choosing when and how to come out to her peers, though. An Instagram post at the end of junior year that was news for barely half a day. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she did it on her own that made it such a non-event?

Those were only the students who were officially out of the closet. If you listen to the gossip around Blackwell, though, there were plenty of others like Max. Unlike the photographer, her fellow classmates could still maintain their privacy. 

With her anxiety building, Max needed to figure out where to go next. Mindlessly wandering the hallways was clearly not the solution. Before she could decide on where to head, though, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.

 **Chloe:** Meet at the smoke station.

The smoke station was a little corner on the side of the school where Chloe and Rachel often went for privacy. Mostly to smoke, sometimes to make out. Today was certainly the fastest Max had made her way over to the secluded location, that’s for sure.

As soon as she got there, Rachel pulled Max into a deep hug. “I’m so, so sorry this happened to you,” she said as she tightened the hug. Rachel meant well, but Max’s little lesbian heart was beating fast at the fact that she was positioned face first in her friend’s bosom.

“Mmph mmph,” she mumbled out. Realizing what the problem was, the blonde loosened the grip on her friend. “Sorry Maxie. Almost forgot how potent my hugs were.”

“Excuse me, those hugs are only for me,” Chloe said with a smile as she pulled Max in for a hug of her own, “This shit sucks, though, dude.”

“Thanks guys. I know I shouldn’t feel bad about this, but it just sucks, you know?”

“Dude, you are definitely entitled to be pissed about this. It’s you life, and it being opened up for everyone isn’t cool,” the punk responded with.

“Do you know who would have started this?”

“I didn’t exactly shout the news from the rooftop. I told you two……..and Warren.”

It was like a switch went off when Max mentioned her recent ex-boyfriend.

“I’ll kill that dweeb if he’s the one who blabbed,” Chloe said, “I’ve been looking for a reason to beat him up for a long time.”

“Heel, girl, heel,” said Rachel as she rubbed her lover’s shoulders, “We can’t resort to violence. Not yet anyway.”

“Justin mentioned that Dana heard it from Juliet, so maybe that’s a good place to start?”

“If anyone knows, it’s gonna be Jules,” the aspiring model said in agreement, “I’ll go find her. You two want to track down Warren?”

Cracking her knuckles, Chloe shook her head in affirmation. “Oh, we’ll track him down alright.”

“Promise me you won’t get yourself suspended. Again.”

“I promise,” the punk said as she obviously crossed her fingers.

Stifling a laugh, Rachel ran off in search of her target. Max had chemistry with Warren first period, so it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle to find him. With that knowledge in hand, the two life-long friends decided to hang back for now.

“So how are you really doing, dude?” Chloe asked. “I’ve been around you for long enough to know when you’re masking your true feelings Caulfield.”

“And I hate that about you,” Max said with a small smile. For someone who wasn’t used to putting their feelings on display, even explaining this to her closest friend was a tough task. She knew she had to be honest and true about it, however.

“I’m annoyed. And worried. And frankly kind of scared,” she answered truthfully.

“Scared? Why are you scared, Maximus?”

“Because I’m not as brave as you or Rachel or Steph, or even Sam! And I don’t want everyone to know about my life! I like having my privacy, and it’s gone now. I’m just the latest act in the Blackwell reality show.”

“And I thought Rachel was the dramatic one…”

The brunette glared at her friend. “Not. Helping.”

“Sorry! Sorry,” Chloe started with, “But I think you might be over-exaggerating. No one’s going to give you shit for being gay. And if they do, they’ll have to answer to me.”

“No one gives you or Rachel shit because they know the hazards of that. I don’t have that luxury, and literally everyone knows it.”

Bringing her friend into another hug, Chloe wished she could do more. She knew how Max could get. Lost in her own head and prone to self-depreciation. All she could do was offer her support in any way that was required.

“Rachel and I will be here for you, dude. Just say the word and we’ll be by your side.”

“I know, I know. I just wish it didn't even have to come to that, you know?”

“Unfortunately, you can’t live your entire life inside the closet. I mean, you could, but that would probably be a hella bad life.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Max replied with. “All the years spent flying under the radar despite being best friends with you two degenerates……gone.”

The punk chuckled at her friend’s comment. “I’ll give you props, that’s very tough to do. We tend to draw a crowd.”

Before the two could continue their chat, though, the warning bell rang. With chemistry kicking the day off, Max would get to interrogate Warren as soon as the day began.

* * *

Or she would have gotten the chance, had Warren not been inexplicably absent. “He literally has not missed a day in over a year, but of course he’s out today,” Max mumbled to herself as she took a seat. She could text him, but if he was going this far to avoid talking to her, why would he answer a text?

It wasn’t a total waste of a period, though, as she also shared the class with Kate. There was no doubt her Christian friend had heard the news, but considering how sweet she was, Max would be surprised if she even brought it up.

“Good morning Max,” the blonde said brightly as her friend took out her textbook, “how are you today?”

“I’m……fine? I guess. It’s been a weird morning.”

Kate shook her heard in acknowledgment. “I heard. I’m sorry to hear about you and Warren. You two seemed great together.”

“Thanks Kate. We were pretty good, and even if I’m mad at him right now, I still hope we can be friends.”

“It's unfortunate when a close friend betrays your trust,” she said with a sigh, “I know you’d prefer not talk about it, but just know that I'm always willing to listen.”

Max wanted to argue. She wanted to be able to discuss this part of her life with one of her best friends. But now was not the time. And she wanted to get to the bottom of who spilled the beans in the first place before she decided what she wanted to do next.

“Alright class, open your textbooks to page fifty-five,” Mrs. Grant suddenly cut in with. Even if she wanted to talk with Kate further about her unearthed sexuality, it would have to wait until later. Without the tutoring that Warren typically provided, Max would really have to pay attention in class now.

* * *

For the next two periods, Max was able to get by relatively unscathed. Sure, there were plenty of glances thrown her way, but no one actually bothered to say anything to her. One of the many benefits of having a small group of friends.

Fourth period was gym class, though, and that’s when Max would be able to meet up with Rachel again. By now the blonde should have cornered Juliet, and gotten her to reveal who outed her. Juliet may be a future professional reporter, but if anyone would get her to out her source, it would be Rachel Amber.

Walking into the changing room, Max quickly realized that the usual gaggle of girls that hung out by her locker weren’t there. Instead, they were a row over, stationed by one Brooke Scott. Yes, Stella and Alyssa weren’t super close with her, but it was still kind of shitty that they didn’t even want to change near her. Did they think she would get all horned up just seeing them in their underwear?

Thankfully, she wasn’t alone for long, as Rachel came strolling into to the room. “Hey Max, heard any good gossip lately?”

“Hey Rach,” she said with a valley-girl accent, “I heard that Max Caulfield is a big lesbo now. Can you _believe_ it?”

“O M Gosh! I can’t! She always seemed like such a maneater!”

Even if the situation was still annoying, Max could at least laugh at some aspects of it.

“Anyway,” Rachel said, dragging out the last syllable, “I found out who the culprit was.”

“Warren?”

The aspiring model shook her head in the negative. “Close. It was his number one fan, though, Brooke.”

Brooke Scott has had a one-sided feud with Max for years. Max wanted to be friends with her crazy intelligent classmate, but it was just not meant to be. Brooke was far too jealous of Max’s relationship with Warren for the two have anything close to a positive bond.

“Okay, but how did she find out? It had to have been Warren, right?”

Rachel shrugged her shoulders in response. “That’s all Juliet told me. But, knowing how badly Brooke wanted to get with Warren, it seems pretty obvious to me.”

After getting dressed for class, Max and Rachel made their way out to the gym to get warmed up. The photographer wasn’t planning on doing anything drastic, but after catching Brooke glaring at her repeatedly, she felt compelled to say something.

“Hey Brooke,” she said as she jogged over to the other girl, “got a second?”

“Um, sure Max, what is it?”

Getting up close to the nerd, she whispered, “Why the _fuck_ did you talk to Juliet?”

Taking a step back, Brooke seemed taken aback by how bold Max was being. “What are you talking about, Max?”

“I know you’re not an idiot Brooke, so don’t play dumb,” Max said a little louder. She was beginning to act like Chloe, which was definitely not the way to go.

“Even if I did talk to Juliet, why should I have to explain anything to you? We’re not friends, Max _ine_.”

“It’s Max, never Maxine. And are you serious? You outed me! How does that not warrant an explanation!”

“Um, Max…..” Rachel chimed in with from behind her, “You might want to keep it down.”

After that outburst, more of her classmates were starting to watch. It was too late to turn back, though. This was a confrontation that had been brewing for some time now.

“You hurt my friend,” Brooke shot back with, “And when you hurt my friends, I hit back.”

“That doesn’t excuse you from revealing something very personal to me! Isn’t girl code supposed to prohibit this type of shit?”

“Girl code is only a thing with girls you actually like. News flash, I don’t like you.”

“I know you don’t like me,” Max said in return, “But I still wouldn’t do something as shitty as this because I wanted to get laid!”

It was that final comment that finally drew Coach Kellet over to the two enemies. “Caulfield! Scott! Take a seat on the bleachers!”

Now Max was far from the type to skip out on class, but the weight of the attention she inadvertently just placed on herself was a little too much. Rather than head for the bleachers, she instead sprinted for the door.

The brunette heard both Ms. Kellet and Rachel yell after her, but she kept running until she was out of sight.

* * *

Returning to the bathroom where she had her meltdown in the morning, Max attempted to steady her nerves.

“You had to open your big mouth, didn’t you Caulfield?” she grumbled to herself. “This is _NOT_ the way to escape the public eye.”

As she splashed water on her face, though, the three stalls behind her suddenly opened up.

“Well, well, well, if isn’t Max Dykefield,” Victoria Chase said as she sauntered out of the middle stall. Flanked to her on the right and left were Courtney Wagner and Taylor Christensen, respectively.

“Did-did all three of you go to the bathroom together?” Max stammered out.

Choosing to ignore the question, Victoria plowed ahead with her speech. “Do you really think that you deserve to be Blackwell’s new queen? That you can usurp me, Victoria Chase, from her spot at the top?”

“Who does she think she is? She's nobody!” Courtney chimed in with. Strangely, though, Taylor didn’t immediately follow with a second insult. Instead, the blonde just stared down at her feet. 

Coming right into Max’s personal space, Victoria flashed a devilish smile. “She’s as lame as that piece of junk she uses to take photos with. Coming out of the closet won’t change that.”

“Look, Victoria, I’m not-“

“Who said you could talk to me Lamefield? If I wanted to speak to you, I’d have Courtney or Taylor do it for me.”

Although used to her antics by now, Victoria was proving to be especially grating to Max today. “It’s not like I wanted people to know about my sexuality, okay, Victoria. You can blame Juliet and Brooke for that getting out.”

Walking around the brunette to wash her hands, the icy blonde didn’t respond at first. After she was finished cleaning up, she once again got close to Max. “I’d bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you, Caulfield? Starting a forbidden romance with another girl. Having to sneak around in order to make it work.”

“How did you get that from what I just said?”

“I just know what lame lesbian bullshit probably turns you on,” Vic said as her gaze drifted between Max’s eyes and lips. Max wasn’t great at picking up signals, but considering how her usual interactions with Victoria went, she definitely noticed that.

Before she could question it, though, Vic snapped her fingers. “I’m done bothering this dork for now. Tay. Court. Let’s go.”

“Later loser,” Courtney said as she followed Vic out the door. Taylor brought up the rear, but once again, did not insult her. “Bye Max,” she said softly, “and sorry about what happened.”

Alone in the bathroom once again, Max could only shudder at the thought of how this day could possibly get stranger than it already was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kate! Victoria! Taylor! Most of your favorites are here! The rest of the main cast will show up in the next chapter.
> 
> And thank you for the (mostly) kind words. It's been fun writing something that is a little more cheery and comedic than what I have been doing. I'm glad people are receptive to it and the general idea of the story.


	3. Chapter 3

Once again splashing her face with water, Max was hit with a sense of déjà vu. Moping in the bathroom was a regular occurrence for the brunette, but twice before lunch? That was a new low, even for her. Admittedly, this was a situation she really didn’t expect to find herself in, but there she was.

Before she could head back to gym class, though, the PA buzzed throughout the building.

“Maxine Caulfield to the Principal’s office immediately. Maxine Caulfield to the Principal’s office immediately.”

“Ah, shit,” she mumbled to herself as she stood at the door, “Might as well get this over with.”

Thankfully, the hallways were still clear, as classes were still in session. Max was surprised at how fast Victoria and crew managed to scurry away, however. That whole interaction had weirded the budding photographer out. From Taylor’s kindness to Victoria’s strange, even for her, insults. At least Courtney was still her usual, catty self.

“Strange day.”

As she approached Principal Wells’ office, she was a little surprised to see him waiting outside for her. Max knew she had made a mistake bailing on class, but this hardly seemed necessary. Chloe has done far, far worse, and has always had to meet him inside his office.

“Ms. Caulfield. How nice of you to show up. Please, come into my office.”

“Yes sir,” Max said as she followed Wells into his office. Most of the student body wouldn’t say Wells was a bad Principal, but there would certainly be comments. Some would call him a drunk, some would call him a puppet. Max wasn’t sure he deserved such remarks, but she has also had precious few interactions with the man.

As the two sat down in their respective chairs, Wells was quick to begin. “I’m sure you know why you are here Ms. Caulfield. Cutting class is a serious offense, even if it is just gym class.”

“I know sir. Things got a little out of hand this morning.”

“A little out of hand seems to be underplaying it, Maxine. You verbally berated a fellow student, then stormed out of class without saying a word to your teacher. That seems like a rather extreme reaction to me.”

“I can see how you could say that sir,” Max said as she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “Crap. I hope I don’t get in too much trouble for this,” she thought to herself.

Wells opened a folder as he continued speaking. “For the past three years, you’ve been a good student Ms. Caulfield. Never getting into trouble and keeping up with your studies. And considering the company you keep, that’s quite a feat.”

“No wonder Chloe has such a bone to pick with Wells,” Max thought.

“After speaking with Coach Kellet, we’ve decided not to punish you too harshly for what is your first serious infraction,” Wells said as he leaned back in his chair. “You will need to come in tomorrow morning before the start of classes and walk around the track. You will need to do so for the period of time you missed today. Now, if you were to skip out on that, then we would have a serious problem. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir,” Max said as she sat up straight. “That sounds more than fair to me, thank you.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Now then, I know that today has not been easy for you..”

At that comment Max could only let out a groan. “Does everyone know about……that?” she asked.

“Ms. Watson has a reputation for a reason, I’m afraid. I know it is not my place, but just know that if anyone gives you trouble, you can come to anyone on the staff for help. Blackwell is an inclusive school for any and all students.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll, uh, keep that in mind.”

“That’s all I ask. You are dismissed. And don’t forget about tomorrow.”

“I won’t”, Max called out as she left the Principal’s office.

The meeting wrapped up just before the bell rang that signaled the end of the period. Thankfully, rather than having to go to another class, Max would instead get to go straight to lunch. Which meant she could decompress a little with Chloe.

* * *

“You can’t be serious with that punishment,” Chloe said with an annoyed huff, “I think you deserve far worse.”

“Oh my god, you cannot be serious,” Max said in return as she picked at her lunch, “I’m sorry Wells doesn’t like you, but don’t take it out on me.”

“If I had did what you did, he would’ve suspended me for a week or some shit. But whatever.”

The two best friends had decided to head outside for lunch today. Well, Chloe had dragged Max out there to put it more accurately. The punk figured it would be best to avoid their usual tablemates, particularly after what had transpired earlier in the day.

“Please Chloe, after everything that has happened today, can you just not with this right now?”

Chloe flashed a grin as she wrapped her arms around Max. “Oh, Maxine, I’m just busting your balls. I don’t actually give a shit what that drunk thinks. Still lame you gotta show up extra early tomorrow.”

“It’s not ideal, that’s for sure. But that’s what I get for drawing that much attention to myself. That’s in addition to a weird conversation I had with Victoria and crew before that.”

“Oh, god, what did little Miss Rich Bitch do this time?” Chloe said with a sigh.

The very frosty relationship between Victoria and Rachel and Chloe was well documented within the halls of Blackwell. The Ice Queen of the Vortex Club has had it out for the dynamic duo for as long as they had been together. Some contribute it to Victoria securing her power in the school. Others, however, cite jealously as the primary cause for such trouble. Whatever the truth was, though, Ms. Chase wasn’t about to reveal it.

“I don’t even know Chloe,” Max started with, “Even for Victoria it was odd.”

Before she could elaborate, she noticed Steph Gingrich approaching their location. It’s not like Max didn’t trust Steph, but with something like this, she preferred to speak more privately with Chloe.

“I’ll explain later, okay?” the brunette said before Steph reached them. Chloe seemed a little confused by the abrupt end to the conversation but went with it regardless.

“Chloe, Max,” Steph said as she strolled up the duo, “I would ask what’s going on, but I don’t want to patronize you.”

“Yeah, it’s been, uh, quite a morning,” Max replied with.

The dungeon master nodded her head in agreement. She could relate to Max’s predicament, even if their situations aren’t entirely similar. Afterall, Steph was able to come out on her own terms. And she didn’t almost get into a fist fight with another student the same day she did so.

“Honestly, you kind of just need to get through the next week or so, Max. After that, the others will find some other new shiny object to focus on. Happened with me, happened with Sam and it happened with Chloe. Rachel is obviously the exception to this rule.”

“Hey!” Chloe butt in with. Poking Steph in the shoulder, she continued with her argument. “I get just as much attention as Rachel does, thank you very much. We’re a package deal!”

Steph could only regard Chloe with amusement as she took in the argument. “Sure, you are sweetie,” she said as she brushed off her friend’s fingers.

“Max! Back me up here!”

“I’m staying out of this, Chlo,” Max said with a chuckle. As she watched the other two continue to bicker, Max thought more about Steph’s words. It may not have seemed like it before, but maybe she had a point.

How much gossip could one student’s sexuality really generate?

* * *

For as hectic as the morning was, the afternoon was calm in comparison. Max would still catch other students staring at her, or talking as she walked by, but it wasn’t anything like when she first arrived earlier in the day.

The only class that proved to be awkward was photography. Not only due to the roster, but also due to one Mr. Jefferson. As a budding photographer, Mark Jefferson was sort of an inspiration to the brunette. When she found out he was coming to Blackwell to offer his wisdom, she was ecstatic.

And while he was certainly a master of his craft, Mark Jefferson the man was not as exciting. He was the teacher who desperately tried to relate to his students. The thought was nice, but sometimes just having a regular, boring teacher was better.

Trying to be the cool teacher also leads to moments like what happened at the end of the day’s period.

“Before you rush out for the day, remember that the entries for the Everyday Hero contest are due next week. It’s a graded assignment, so I wouldn’t recommend skipping it,” Mr. Jefferson called out over the exiting students.

Packing up her bag alongside Max, Rachel turned to her friend. “Me and Chloe are heading over to American Rust. You coming?”

“Yeah, but I gotta stop home first. I’ll just ride my bike over in a bit,” she replied with.

As the two walked out of the class, Mr. Jefferson attempted to stop them.

“Max, do you have a minute?” he said aloud.

“Oh, uh, of course sir.”

“Please, call me Mr. Jefferson. Anyway, I heard about what happened this morning.”

“Uh oh, this is gonna be weird,” Max thought to herself.

“And I just wanted to say that you have my full support. No artist should censor themselves because of societal pressures.”

“Thank you?” she replied in confusion. Max knew her teachers weren’t going to treat her any differently, but this was a different approach to that thought.

“No,” he started with as he placed his hand on her shoulder, “thank you for being so brave. I know it wasn’t your decision, but you have handled it with grace.”

“Guess he hasn’t talked to Brooke,” Rachel said quietly outside the classroom.

“And although you may have a lot on your plate at the moment…….you still need to submit your photo for the Everyday Heroes assignment.”

“C’mon Mr. Jefferson,” Max said with a smile, “I’m sure you can let this one assignment slide. It’s been, uh, a rough day after all.”

“Nice try, Max,” Mark said with a sigh, “But you know I can’t do that. You’re dismissed.”

As Max walked out of the classroom, she could see Rachel trying to contain her laughter by her locker. “Mr. Jefferson, ever the cool dude,” she said with amusement as the brunette approached. Rachel had long drawn the eye of the photography teacher. This provided endless amusement for the blonde, and a constant aggravation for a certain icy, short-haired rich girl.

“I don’t even know, Rach. I don’t even.”

* * *

While Max would never call her herself athletic, she still enjoyed biking around Arcadia Bay. The town had a nice charm to it that made it incredible to photograph. And with college approaching quickly, she wasn’t sure how much time she had left to take it in.

Of course, there was the additional benefit of not having to ride in Chloe’s deathtrap of a truck for any longer than necessary. Max loved her best friend, and she loved her best friend’s girlfriend. But. That doesn’t mean she wants to spend every waking moment with the duo. Particularly when she’s not only going through a break-up, but also still coming to terms with her sexuality.

“How come my friends have to be so pretty,” Max thought to herself as she arrived at American Rust.

Discovered by Rachel and Chloe during one of their first outings, American Rust had become the de facto hang-out for the trio. It provided something for each of them. It was a wonderful place to photograph, it housed plenty of modeling opportunities and was a great area to smoke up. Everyone was happy!

Making her way over to the party shed, Max could already smell the weed from here. “I’m honestly not sure Chloe could survive without that stuff,” she muttered under her breath. The photographer certainly didn’t have a problem with it, but it wasn’t something she partook in.

“Knock, knock” she said as she walked into the tiny building.

“Well, well, well,” Chloe said as she walked over and draped her arm over Max’s shoulders, “If it isn’t my favorite lesbian.”

“Hey!” Rachel exclaimed as she shot up from a dingy couch, “I thought I was your favorite!”

With her arm still hugging the brunette, Chloe looked over to her girlfriend. “You were my favorite, but Maxine is my number one girl, so sorry babe.”

Walking over to the duo, Rachel pulled Max away from Chloe’s tight grip. “Well, if that’s the case, then Maxine is also my favorite gay.”

Struggling to break free from the couple’s grasp, Max let out a huff. “First of all, it’s Max never Maxine. And secondly, there’s enough of me to go around.”

Agreeing to her demands, both Chloe and Rachel released the tiny photographer. “You’re like 110 pounds soaking wet, dude, so I don’t think there’s enough for the two of us, but it’s okay. From what I’ve heard, you already have plenty of suitors out there,” Chloe added.

Sighing, Max made her way over to the spare chair in the room. “Don’t even get me started, Chlo. It’s been a weird day, that’s for sure.”

“Oh that’s right! I believe you owe me an explanation of what Victoria was up to today!”

Raising an eyebrow, Rachel looked between Max and Chloe. “Victoria giving you trouble, huh? What else is new.”

“I know, I know. Victoria being a jerk is nothing new. But this was different,” Max replied with. “Maybe it was just me, but it seemed weirdly, I don’t know, sexual? Like she was purposely doing it to push my buttons.”

Shifting in her seat, Rachel thought about how to phrase her reply. Vic’s sexuality was more or less an open secret at Blackwell, but would she be any better than Brooke if she purposely outed her? Even if it was just to Max, the thought of doing so made her kind of sick.

“She probably just heard about what had happened earlier in the day. I know she already bullies you, but you just gotta ignore her barbs. This will die down eventually, and I’m sure she’ll go back to her typically bitchy self.

“Yeah, I guess,” Max replied, “that wasn’t the only weird part of that conversation, though. Usually Taylor is almost as catty as Victoria is, but she seemed weirdly subdued. Depressed even. Speaking from years of experience in that area, I would know what that sounds like.”

“You didn’t hear it from me,” the blonde started with, “but apparently her mom is in the hospital. And she’s not doing well. Taylor’s done a decent job of covering it up, but after awhile, I imagine that sort of shit really wears on you.”

“Maybe this will teach her some humility…” Chloe mumbled under her breath.

“I know you have your issues with them, but don’t be a bitch,” Rachel shot back with a glare, “You of all people should know how that can fuck someone up.”

“You’re right, but I can still say she’s been a bitch in the past.”

“Well,” Max called out in order to diffuse this argument, “I guess that would explain it. Hopefully her mom gets better then.”

“Agreed,” Rachel followed-up with, “Now. Let’s talk about how we can get revenge on Warren.”

* * *

As she stood at the start of Blackwell’s outdoor track the next morning, Max was struggling to keep her eyes open. It was an hour earlier than she was used to being at school, and she was going to have spend said hour walking the track. There was one other person already doing laps, but she couldn’t quite make out who it was.

“I’m sure this was not how you wanted to spend your morning Ms. Caulfield,” Coach Kellet began with, “but this is what happens when you ditch class.”

“I understand Coach, and it won’t happen again.”

“Good. Now get out there. I’ll be back in an hour to relieve you.”

Dragging herself to the track, Max began her long trek for the morning. Coach didn’t say she had to run, so she was content with just slowly walking for the hour. It still sucked, but it was far from the worst thing.

“Hopefully today won’t be as bad as yesterday,” she thought to herself, “Just gotta get through talking with Warren. With Chloe and Rachel by my side, it shouldn’t be too bad.”

So lost in her thoughts was Max, was that she didn’t even notice the other person on the track catch up to her.

“Is that Max Caulfield or do my eyes deceive me?”

Max didn’t even need to turn around in order to figure out who her track buddy was. The cheery, consistently upbeat tone of Dana Ward was hard to miss. Normally she would be ecstatic about getting to hang out with Dana, but she was still a little mad about the role the taller girl played in the spreading the news about her personal life.

As she turned around to give her a piece of her mind, Dana was already raising a hand to silence her.

“Wait, Max, wait,” she said quickly, “I just need to get this off my chest. I’m really, really sorry about telling Justin and Trevor about your news. I know I violated your privacy doing so, and I would never want to do that. I can’t even explain why I did it in the first place, but just know that I’m really, truly sorry.”

“Crap,” Max thought to herself, “She looks pretty upset about this. I can’t really chew her out for it now. Plus, Dana is, like, the nicest girl ever. If she didn’t mean to cause harm, I believe her.”

Continuing the walk alongside the taller brunette, who slowed her pace to match Max’s, Max started to formulate a reply. “I was mad Dana. Really mad. But. I forgive you. I know you would never purposely hurt me. It just sucks that everyone knows all about my business now.

“I can believe that. I’ve been lucky enough to keep shit locked up that is my business and my business alone,” Dana responded with. “I don’t think it’s all bad for you, though, to be honest.”

“Is that so?” Max replied with a chuckle.

The cheerleader smiled back at her friend. “Definitely. You’re a catch Max, and now that people know where you stand, I think you’ll see that too.”

“I, uh, don’t think people really think of me at all. People barely notice me.”

“Oh Max,” Dana said as she turned to face the other girl, “You have so much to learn.”

Before she could properly respond, Dana continued talking. “Anyway, now that you’re single and ready to mingle, you should come out to the football game Friday.”

“If I’m being honest, that doesn’t really sound like a place to meet someone new, Dana.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Dana said with a shrug, “But Chloe and Rachel usually hang out under the bleachers, and I would love to see you outside of school one time. I barely see you enough at Blackwell as is.”

Dana was right about that at least. Despite being in the same grade, Max barely shared any classes with the other girl. Which was a shame, because Dana was one of the cutest girls at Blackwell. Maybe if she saw her more often, Max would have been able to figure herself out much earlier.

“Plus, after the game, most of us will probably go down to the beach to hang out. And I’d really like it if you joined us,” the taller brunette said with a wide smile.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Max coughed out, “I think I can do that.”

“Great!” Dana said in response, “I’ll be the one in the cheerleader’s outfit at the game. Can’t miss me.” she said as she started to pick up her pace. “I’d love to keep walking with you Max, but I got another lap to do, so I’ll see you later.”

As Dana sprinted off ahead of her, Max tried to think about how maybe things won’t be as bad as she thought they were going to be. All she could actually think about, though, was Dana Ward in a cheerleader’s outfit.

“I’m in trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! 
> 
> I offer no excuses for my extended absence. I've been dealing with some terrible writer's block for the past few months, and it obviously shows. That's why there have been no updates on this, Puzzle or my Booksmart-fic, the girl in the window. I don't really have a time frame for when normal updates will happen, but just know that I haven't forgotten about any of them.
> 
> This about does it for the core cast introductions. Next chapter will focus on the trio interrogating Warren, an awkward talk with parents and fun times after a football game. Stay tuned.

**Author's Note:**

> "Oh hi Endless Majestic, why are you starting another fic?" Because I'm a big dumb idiot, apparently.
> 
> Anyway, I've decided to start a new story. Admittedly, how I've been feeling mentally played a small role in this. With two stories that err on the side of depressing, I wanted something light to focus on as well. This was an idea I've had for awhile, and I figured this was a good place to start.
> 
> This is a traditional high school story that will focus on Max as she tries to find love before heading off to college. I've purposely kept the relationship tags away from Max, as I wish to keep that part of the story secret. I hesitate to call this fluff, but it will almost certainly be less dramatic than Puzzle.


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